Advancing in the playoffs is nothing to take for granted. Tyronn Lue and the Cleveland Cavaliers, for instance, showered the Detroit Pistons with praise after completing a hard-fought first-round sweep despite simply living up to their reputation as heavy favorites.
Everything matters this time of year. Every possession can swing a game, every game can swing a series, and every series can swing the postseason. That’s why some wondered whether the Cavaliers were less equipped to handle the rigors of playoff basketball than other legitimate title contenders. With a rookie coach at the helm who has less than one full season of experience under his belt, would Cleveland make the necessary adjustments and tweaks to play its best when it matters most?
After the wine and gold dispatched of the Pistons in Auburn Hills on Sunday night, none other than Stan Van Gundy – one of the most respected coaches in the league – eased those concerns.
“Stan just said I did a phenomenal job this year coaching the team,” Lue told ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin of the coachs’ post-game chat. “He said I’m doing a hell of a job and to keep it up. And he said when I played for him, he knew I’d be a great coach one day.”
Lue finished his playing career with Van Gundy’s Orlando Magic after being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks in February of 2008-09. Though he appeared in just 14 games for Orlando, it’s obvious Lue developed a rapport with the hoarse-voiced coach during their several months together in Central Florida – not to mention an extreme appreciation for his all-around ability as a basketball strategist.
The 38 year old says Detroit gave the Cavaliers the “grind-out series” needed to acclimate them to intensity and stakes of postseason play. How? Not just constant physicality and relentless hustle from a bevy of talented young players, but supreme influence of the Pistons’ coach.
“And I mean, to beat Stan and beat him 4-0, that means a lot to me,” Lue explained to ESPN.com. “Because I know he’s a bad m—–f—–.”
Clearly.
(Via ESPN.com)
